The highlight of our trip to Johor on 21 June, Saturday was the durian planation visit @ Pekan Nanas for all 41 of us from Singapore, some with kids in tow. We met at Newton Circus carpark, the coach from Luxury Tours was already waiting for us and when everyone was accounted for, we left at about 8.30 am. At the Johor side, we were met by our Engish speaking tour guide and Prava is her name. She was suave in her introduction speech on the coach, a veteran in her trade and admittedly, I am most impressed with her vast general knowledge when she introduced some historical sites & background and in between, putting in 'humourous quotes' to instill some laughters & interest among us. I must say, she had won us over almost immediately.
The trip from Johor Bahru to Pekan Nanas on the eastern side took an hour, we reached the durian plantation at about 12 noon. There was already one bus load of tourists before us and they were feasting on the king of fruits, durians. We joined in too. Durians, rambutans, mangosteens and a type of local fruit (don't know the name) were placed at different tables for us to help ourselves to. Not a great durian lover myself, I simply grabbed whatever was 'dished out' on the table and enjoying it too. Quite frankly, the durians were not 'fanastically' great, palatable though and already, I heard rumblings from some of the people in our group and other group too. These people must be one hell of a 'durian expert' to pass judgment and I have to concur with them if they said the durians were of the lower grade compared to the ones in Geylang. We spent an hour at the plantation, took a stroll back to our coach and we left for Jusco in Tebrau City for shopping.
We were given 3 hours to shop till we 'drop dead', everyone was told to be back at the assembly point by 5.30 pm. It was not my first trip to Tebrau City which attracts many Singaporeans especially on the weekends or public holidays. While the rest us broke in different groups moving on their own, Mandy, Bernard and I had our coffee & toasts at the joint first. Wanting to find a foot reflexology to while away time, Bernard went separate way to look for one leaving Mandy and I to browse from shop to shop starting from the highest level, the 3rd floor. It is a big shopping mall, though it was a Saturday but the place was quite packed with people, Singaporeans formed the bulk.
It was almost 4.30 pm, we reached a retail store, Theme which sells trendy ladies bags & shoes on the ground floor. The shop was offering special promotion, 'buy 1 free 1' for most items except for new arrival types. Mandy was making enquiry on the promotion with one of the staff but she was irritated when someone interrupted her conversation. I had my haversack with me throughout and I heard a faint 'zipping' sound at the back of my haversack. I did not pay much heed to it, that was my big mistake. It was the man who interrupted our conversation that actually caught my attention. He is short, effeminate in his behaviour and sounded very Filipino. When we continued to browse around, I felt a slight push at the back. I turned around, saw a young Malay man but he was not very near me, simply browsing around with his back facing me. I just moved around the shop with Mandy. Felt another slight push again, my immediate instinct did not kick-in as I had assumed someone was trying to 'squeeze through the narrow passage' in between the display shelves. However, a short while later my hunch told me to check my haversack. The zip of my back pocket was opened, I knew something was amiss. The wallet containing some cash, credit cards and some personal items was gone but luckily, my passport was not taken. I knew it was the work of that effeminate guy and his gang members, I went around looking for them in the hope to nab the gang as I clearly remember the look of that effeminate fella. It was to no avail, my wallet was gone for good. The money lost was not much, credit cards & ATM were of no use to the thieves anyway but it was the personal items in the wallet that I felt the most.
Not wanting to hold back the group, we left at about 5.30 pm for dinner at Senibong before heading back. Prava was most apologetic, she felt the management of the shopping mall should step up more security measures to ban 'those who loiter around the premises', apparently to waylaid their victims. I blame no one for that, it was my oversight and carelessness. However, I am most surprised when I realised that the shop did not install any CCTV which is the most basis thing to start with.
After dinner, my group left for home without me as I decided to stay back to make a police report. My colleague who is staying nearby picked me up a while after the group had left and we headed to the nearest police post to file my lost report.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
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